Five for your radar: Music, books, film — top tips for the week ahead
Emma Stone in Poor Things; Ned Dennehy in the Nobody Zone
The directorial debut from Molly Manning Walker earned the Un Certain Regard award at the Cannes Film Festival. It follows three British friends headed to Crete for their post-exam holiday. This look at the joys of being a teenage girl turns into an exploration of the fears that come with womanhood. Delivering a nuanced and superb performance as Tara, Mia McKenna-Bruce marks herself as one to watch. This film is a gripping and important watch as it tackles the subject of consent head-on.
A musical event that runs across three days, Haunted Dancehall is an event not to be missed. On Saturday, you can enjoy a musical marathon beginning at 3pm and winding down at 3am. This event brings together talent from Ireland and beyond to create a unique line-up of musicians, DJs, and performers. Among the 40+ acts featured are James McVinnie, Tirzah, Crash Ensemble, Loraine James, and Kali Malone. The National Concert Hall is the main venue but there are some events running in satellite venues.
Kieran Kelly, a homeless Irishman living in London, was arrested for the suspected theft of a wedding ring in 1983. Police were astounded when the man they thought was a small-time thief revealed himself to be the London Underground serial killer. In a recorded interview, Kelly admitted to a slew of murders dating back 30 years. In an unusual twist, this two-part documentary uses the killer's own voice with Ned Dennehy lip-synching along with the original interview recording. The documentary follows the popular podcast of the same name, also by RTÉ.
The expanded festival has a quality line-up in store this year. Among the standout events is the Opening Night Gala which will host the Irish premiere of the off-beat, award-winning film Poor Things starring Emma Stone. Another coup for the festival is the world premiere of One Night in Millstreet about when Steve Collins dethroned Chris Eubank in Cork back in 1995. Another Irish premiere on the programme is the hotly anticipated Andrew Haigh film, All Of Us Strangers, which stars our own Paul Mescal alongside Andrew Scott. Of course, the festival will showcase plenty of Irish talent including films from Paul Duane, Alan Gilsenan, and Paul Mercier.
As with everything Ziwe touches, this book is pure gold. The writer and comedian earned herself a cult following with her eponymous talk show which featured iconic interviews about race, politics, and culture with people including Drew Barrymore, Chet Hanks, Phoebe Bridgers, and Caroline Calloway. Now that she herself is a pop culture icon, Ziwe has blessed us with her first book. The essay collection combines her trademark sharp commentary with personal stories and her attempts to grapple with her own (mis)understanding of identity.
